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Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag and Harvinder Singh named in India’s Asian Para Games squad

8 June 2026

Sonipat, India

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India has named squads for this summer’s World Archery Para Series in Nove Mesto and this autumn’s Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games after concluding national selection trials in Sonipat.

The three-day trials featured two rounds of eliminations to determine both teams.

Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion Harvinder Singh and World Archery Para Champion and Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games gold medallist Sheetal Devi headline India’s squad for Japan. The squad also includes Paralympians Shyam Sunder Swami and Pooja.

Experienced compound archer Rakesh Kumar, who partnered Devi to mixed team bronze in Paris, failed to secure selection after finishing fourth in the trials.

In Rakesh’s absence, reigning World Archery Para Champion Toman Kumar and Swami will lead India’s compound men’s challenge. Swami has been a regular member of the national squad for more than a decade.

Toman has emerged as one of India’s brightest para archery talents, following his world title with two gold medals at the Bangkok 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series.

In Nagoya, attention will centre on India’s compound women’s line-up featuring Devi, the newly crowned World Archery Para Athlete of the Year, and rising star Payal Nag, the world’s first limbless archer, who secured her first senior international title on debut at Bangkok 2026.

Nag notably defeated Paris 2024 bronze medallist Devi in the compound women’s individual final, setting up the possibility of another all-Indian showdown in Japan later this year.

“My form has been good,” said Devi, who topped the trials with 1398 points. “I won the world championship last year and I have been training daily in Patiala with my coach, Gaurav Sharma sir, shooting 250-300 arrows.”

“We are focusing on strength and steady shooting.”

This autumn’s Games in Nagoya will mark Devi’s second appearance at the Asian Para Games following her breakthrough double-gold performance at Hangzhou 2022.

“My target for Nagoya is simple – win gold again and make India proud,” she added. “I want to defend my titles from the last Asian Para Games.”

India’s recurve men’s line-up will feature Harvinder Singh, a former Asian Para Games champion from Jakarta 2018, alongside world number 76 Vijay Sundi, who topped the recurve men’s standings across the two elimination rounds.

Singh and Sundi were also members of the Indian team that won gold at the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok in March.

“The trials went very well,” said world number five Singh, who topped qualification before finishing second in the elimination rounds. “I gave my best after recovering from medical issues and now I’m eagerly looking forward to Nagoya. This is a big event for us, and I want to give my best and make my country proud.”

Bhawna and Pooja complete India’s recurve women’s squad, bringing a blend of experience and promise to the team.

In the wheelchair category, Adil Mohd Nazir Ansari and Vinayak Amolrao Breed secured selection in W1 men, while Swati Chaudhary will compete in W1 women.

Led by Devi’s two gold medals, India won seven para archery medals at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

Images courtesy of Archery Association of India.